Medieval doorway to left of entrance gates to the Old Vicarage and enclosing walls

Cadw's description

Location

To left of entrance gates to the Old Vicarage just N of the crossroads in the centre of the village.

History

Doorway of part of an entrance range to medieval Llanddew Castle, probably late C13 or early C14, attached to a section of walling to left on medieval site but of uncertain date and facing over small later C19 paved garden enclosed by low walls.
Llanddew Castle was occupied in the C12 by Giraldus Cambrensis, as Archdeacon of Brecon 1175-1203. He called it 'a small residence. .... well adapted to literary pursuits and the contemplation of eternity'. Archbishop Baldwin of Canterbury stayed at Llanddew on his tour of Wales with Giraldus in 1188. The Castle was owned by the Bishops of St Davids, derelict by the C16. Sold in the 1650s, but returned to the see of St Davids after the Restoration.
The doorway has a C14 character, and is illustrated in the 1741 Buck engraving of the castle.

Exterior

Small C14 pointed doorway with recessed curved moulding to jambs and arch. Moulded hoodmould carried on a corbel to right and on a short column shaft rising from a lower corbel to left. Attached length of dry stone wall to right. Immediately to right of doorway wall ends with a C19 stone cap as left gatepier of entry to former vicarage.
The low C19 enclosing walls are of squared rock-faced grey stone with stepped stone coping. Gate to front right between two piers with roughly pyramidal stone caps. Modern iron gate.

Reason for designation

Included as important remaining fragment of the outer enclosure of the medieval bishops' house at Llanddew, well set in C19 walled enclosure. Scheduled Ancient Monument Br 057 (POW).